Welcome to Arrest Stories. A former aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams was arrested on federal bribery and fraud charges after allegedly accepting sixteen thousand dollars in kickbacks while serving as the city's public housing liaison. Here's what may have happened.
On January thirteenth, twenty twenty six, sixty one year old Tony Herbert was taken into custody in New York City on sweeping federal corruption charges. Herbert served as Mayor Eric Adams' citywide public housing liaison and worked in the Community Affairs Unit from February twenty twenty two through May twenty twenty five.
Federal prosecutors allege Herbert engaged in multiple pay-to-play schemes during his tenure. According to court documents, Herbert solicited and received eleven thousand dollars in cash from a security company executive in exchange for pressuring city officials to award contracts at New York City Housing Authority developments. Herbert allegedly ghostwrote a letter to two unnamed City Hall officials on the security company's behalf and told the executive, "This is what we do, bro. This is what we do. I mean it's, ain't nobody gonna do it for us."
The corruption allegedly extended beyond security contracts. Herbert is accused of taking five thousand dollars in kickbacks from a funeral home director in exchange for steering publicly funded burial assistance for low-income families to that funeral home. In January twenty twenty three, Herbert's kickback arrangement hit complications when the funeral home director reported their bank account was hacked.
Herbert also allegedly submitted a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan application for a fake baked goods company, obtaining twenty thousand dollars in COVID-era relief funds.
Prosecutors say Herbert filed false financial disclosure forms that omitted his receipt of thousands of dollars from both the security company executive and funeral home director.
A federal prosecutor stated, "New Yorkers deserve honest and competent public officials. As alleged, at a time when Anthony Herbert was serving as City Hall's liaison to the City's public housing residents, he engaged in blatant pay-to-play schemes to enrich himself."
Herbert was released on fifty thousand dollars personal recognizance bond and is scheduled to return to court on January thirtieth.
Herbert was previously fired from his position last year over a social media post about conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
All suspects presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Do not take this report as factual, always verify facts. Thanks for watching Arrest Stories.